Foraminifera Research (Image 12)

Foraminifera Research (Image 12) The white dots on the back of this shell in a touch tank at the Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, are Foraminifera. Foraminifera are single-celled creatures that are among the most abundant organisms in the oceans. These Foraminifera are being studied by Sam Bowser, a professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Albany's School of Public Health and a scientist at the New York State Department of Health's Wadsworth Center. Bowser's primary research focus has been to try and understand as much of the fundamental biology of Foraminifera as possible, including habitat preference, life-cycle, reproductive patterns, eating habits, and evolutionary history. His research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation's U.S. Antarctic Program. (Date of Image: Dec. 2006) [Image 12 of 13 related images. See Image 13.]